Who's Saving Who?
by LadySorrow
Summary: Sarah Williams is a temp agent at the CIA, and after getting pulled into a mission involving the existence of the Labyrinth, she unwittingly puts herself in danger. R&R!
1. A Little Red Book

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.  
  
"Ow! It bit me, the damn stapler. It won't staple the papers but it will staple my thumb," Sarah swore under her breath and then placed her sore and bruising thumb into her mouth to ease the pain. Flustered she plopped down in her threadbare swivel chair that always managed to make her butt sore by the end of the day.  
  
She moved the computer mouse by her hand to get rid of the screen saver on her computer, which happened to be next to her hot cup of coffee in her favorite green mug. Not only did the mouse move, but also her cup of coffee as it toppled over the edge of her mahogany desk and onto her new white designer dress suit.  
  
"Shit," she mumbled, while trying in vain to wipe the slowly browning stain from her pristine suit with a Kleenex. She gave up and slumped over her desk with her head in her hand and thought to herself, can this day get any worse? Of course it could, and it did when in walked her boss, Mr. Leach, pronounced 'leech,' and boy, did it ever fit his persona.  
  
It was bad enough she was just a temp, but also an attractive woman temp in a predominately male CIA office. Yes, the CIA. Had she known it was the CIA she would be working for in the first place, she might have at least thought twice. "Williams, do you have the files I requested collated yet?" he asked, flashing her one of his grins that might have been considered charming if it wasn't usually accompanied by a sexist comment.  
  
"Oh, and after that," he added, "coffee would be nice." The office door shut behind him, and Sarah was grateful for his leaving. Sighing, she got back to work typing away on the computer keys doing 100 words a minute, minus a word or two due to her manicured acrylic nails. The coffee comment was another way of saying that's all you're good for, making coffee.  
  
During her lunch break she usually went out to this nice little café down the street called "The Mustard Seed Café" by herself. Since it was a nice day she decided to walk. Her white high heels clicked rhythmically on the sidewalk under her feet. The sounds of the city were all around her: the screech of tires and blares of horns as taxi cabs rolled by, then the swish and hiss of the big trucks, and that distinctive diesel rumble of a bus. The sound of merchants talking or yelling as they tried to sell their goods along with the street venders selling their fatty foods.  
  
The sticky sweet smell of the flower shop wafted to her nostrils. The smell of the "Mustard Seed Café" was distinctive, it smelled of freshly baked bread and the dark, bittersweet aroma of freshly ground coffee. As she entered the low building with the huge window in the front, the man at the counter across from her greeted her. "Hey Sarah, what can I get you?" he asked politely. Sarah smiled and took out her wallet from her black shoulder purse and replied, "The usual will be fine, Mike."  
  
She chose a little table for two at the back as she always did. The "usual" consisted of a salad with roasted chicken on top and ranch dressing and a frosty cappuccino to wash it down. As she ate, she reflected on her life at this point. Where was she going? What did she want? She didn't know the answer to either of those questions, and it disturbed her.  
  
The salad in front her still remained fifteen minutes later, and she decided playing with her food wasn't getting her anywhere, so she gulped down the remainder of her drink, and threw the rest of her salad in the waste bin. "Bye Mike," she called, pushing open the glass door that led to the sidewalk and the rest of the city. The same sights and smells greeted her as they always did, and she slung her purse over shoulder and walked back to the office building. It looked like every other office building, and that was the beauty of the CIA.  
  
They could appear to be regular business people and no one would be the wiser. The front door to the building was one of those revolving doors that you sometimes find in hospitals, and Sarah pushed it until she was inside the building instead of outside. The guard at the front desk recognized her, but she showed him her ID card anyway. The metal detector stood between the desk and the hallway leading to the elevators. She discarded her metal objects such as her car keys and anything else that might set it off. Once she had done this, she walked through, and the device stayed dormant while she walked to the other side.  
  
The guard handed back her personal belongings and her purse, and she walked to the first elevator on the right and pushed the up button. The doors swung sideways with a ding, and two men dressed all in black walked past her as if she didn't even exist. "Good afternoon to you too," she mumbled sarcastically, stepping into the empty elevator.  
  
The doors flew shut in front of her, and it carried her to the 13th floor. As the doors opened at her floor she looked up, and the sight that greeted her eyes made her heart skip a beat and her adrenaline rush. Her boss was holding her book, the Labyrinth, the one she kept in a locked drawer. "Oh, that's cute," Mr. Leach said, reading something from the book that he must have found amusing. He stood by her desk with the little red book open in his hands. From across the room one of his buddies said, "Hey Leach, the princess is back."  
  
By this time Sarah was shaking with fear and anger. Mr. Leach missed the looks she was giving him, and he said mockingly to his friend from across the room, "Hey Bob, listen to this, 'I wish the goblins would come and take you away," and he paused. Before he could continue with the rest of the line, Sarah was starting from across the room at him, ready to snatch the book away.  
  
But, before she was able to, Mr. Leach's tongue was quicker than her hand and he said barely audibly, almost to himself but in a mocking manner, "I wish the goblins would come and take me away, right now." And the book thudded to the floor without hands to support it any longer.  
  
Cue evil laughter: Mwahaha, I love cliffhangers. If you want to find out more, have questions, comments, or just plain criticism, leave it in the review. Thank you. 


	2. Sarah to the Rescue

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.  
  
And the book thudded to the floor without hands to support it any longer. Sarah stepped back and gasped. Bob, from way across the room, did a double take, blinked, then rubbed his eyes, and walked away, obviously dismissing his friend's disappearance to his lack of sleep.  
  
Quickly gathering her composure, Sarah walked hurriedly to the book, and stooped swiftly to gather it up. She tried to stay calm and act as if nothing had happened, and she placed the book back into the drawer, all the while wondering how in the world she was going to get her boss back. It had occurred to her that maybe he deserved what he got. But she shook herself of that notion and strengthened her resolve to getting him back. It was, after all, the "right" thing to do.  
  
The rest of the workday flew by for Sarah, who had done nothing except stare at her computer screen all day. Not that anyone noticed of course, and as the hour hand hit five on the clock, she retrieved the small, red leather bound book from her desk and placed it in her purse, which she hung over her shoulder in a hurry to get home.  
  
The next day, Sarah returned to work, only this time she was blurry eyed and tired, yawning constantly from her lack of sleep the night before. She had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning consulting every book on magic and that of folklore she possessed trying to come up with a way to get Mr. Leach back from the underground without actually wishing herself there.  
  
Many cups of coffee and half-eaten bagels later, she realized that she was getting nowhere, and that's when her alarm went off, even though her bed had been unoccupied beside it. Stepping into the elevator on the ground floor she noticed two women were in the elevator already, and they looked at her a bit curiously. She recognized one of them as another worker on the same floor as her, but not the other.  
  
And as the elevator drudged just as slowly as it possibly could up the 13th floor, the metal doors slid open and a ding resounded. The woman that worked on the same floor as her got off with her, and said goodbye to the other woman, and Sarah walked half in a daze behind her to her desk. Sarah sat down in her desk, and she wondered vaguely if anyone would notice that Mr. Leach was missing.  
  
Oh, they would, she told herself. The man practically lived for the CIA. He'd probably never missed a day of work in his life while being employed there. She shook her head and tried to get into the stack of work that had been building up on her desk. And as she was working on something that was equally unimportant to her, the door, quite unexpectedly to Sarah, to Mr. Leach's office opened, and out he stepped as if nothing had happened yesterday.  
  
Sarah, by this time, thought she was losing her mind. That's it, she thought, after work I'm signing myself in to the institution. "Miss Williams, would you kindly step into my office," Mr. Leach asked her. Sarah blinked, then her mind refocused and she did as she was told and stepped wearily into Mr. Leach's spacious round place of work.  
  
"Please sit," he told her. And stiffly, she sat in the leather chair in front of his desk that he had indicated. "As you may know, I was suddenly detained from my work yesterday quite suddenly. What I encountered was quite strange. I ran into this man that said he knew you, which is quite ironic since everyone around here thinks you have no life."  
  
Sarah gulped, a little afraid of what he was getting at. She hadn't seen any of the creatures from the Labyrinth since the night after she had returned home after saying those dreaded six words to the only man that had ever given her anything. "However, I think that this world that I stumbled upon has some use to the CIA, and I want you to investigate it further." At his pause, Sarah took this time to interject sharply.  
  
"First of all, Mr. Leach," she said, getting to her feet, "you did not "stumble" upon the Labyrinth, I did. Second, I have been there, as this man my have told you, so there's no need for me to "investigate" it further as you say. And thirdly, I do have a life, thank you very much."  
  
Mr. Leach smiled one of those condescending smiles that make people feel lower than him and replied, "Nice to see you've developed a backbone there, Williams. However, I will not tolerate being argued with in my own office. Now, this man that I talked to, he seemed quite eager to have you back there, so, tomorrow you will report to my office in 2000 hours, which is 8:00, just in case you can't figure it out."  
  
Sensing that the conversation, or lack thereof, was over, Sarah walked from Mr. Leach's office on shaky legs. Barely was she able to make it back to her desk in time before she collapsed or fainted from shock. With quaking hands she pulled a pen from her pencil cup and got back to work. But, try as she might, her mind kept wandering back to the inevitable event that was to take place the next day.  
  
What would Jareth do to her? Would he want revenge? Was she going to see Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus again? Would she have to run the labyrinth (hopefully not) again? Those questions were swirling around in her brain with no sign of stopping. Deciding that she wasn't going to get any work done today, and that it would probably be her last full day on earth for a while, she skipped out of work early and visited her family.  
  
The visitation to her parent's house was to say goodbye, only they didn't know that's why she was there. What was she supposed to tell them? Sorry Karen and dad, but I have to go back to the labyrinth tomorrow so I won't be able to take Toby anywhere. Right, and then the men in white coats would come running and slap a straight jacket on her.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud honking behind her, and she realized the light was green, and she turned to the right into the street that lead to her parent's house. The house was the same as it had always been, ever since she could remember her parents, not Karen, but her real mom, had lived in that house. She couldn't really imagine them living any place else.  
  
It wasn't the house that was important; really, it was the memories that the house kept within its walls. Toby must have heard her car pull up into the driveway covered with the golden leaves that had started to fall from the trees. He ran down the steps two at a time, and as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle, he threw both of his arms around her waist in a hug.  
  
"Hey, pal, nice to see you too," she said in jest. She patted the top of his golden blonde hair fondly and he said, "Why aren't you at work?" He asked this innocently while looking up at her with those wide blue eyes of his. "Let's just say I'm going on vacation and wanted to say goodbye before I leave for a while." "Cool," Toby responded, pulling back from her and heading back inside with her. "Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
Sarah scratched her chin in thought; she didn't want to lie to him. But yet, she couldn't tell him the truth, obviously. "I, uh, I'm just taking some time off. I might just drive around the country, look at the sights, and then come back. I can't say for sure how long I might be gone though," she fibbed. Once they were inside, Karen greeted her cordially enough.  
  
Unfortunately, her father was at work. He was a big name lawyer up north and was away on a business trip. "So, do you know what states you might go to?" Karen asked, trying to take an interest in Sarah's life. "Oh, I don't know. Just wherever I feel like, I guess," she replied weakly.  
  
Toby and Karen seemed like they wanted to know more about the trip she was planning on taking, but she changed the subject to avoid having to lie even more. It's not like she was holier-than-thou or anything, it's just she wasn't very good at lying and was afraid they would see through it the more they asked.  
  
"Toby, how's the second grade going?" she asked quickly. She sat on the couch beside her brother, who was totally engrossed in the TV in front of him. Karen must have been insulted about her question, because she said suddenly, "Sarah, Toby is in third grade now." "Oh right, I knew that," she replied lamely. "Well, anyway, I guess I should get going. I have some things to pack before I leave," she said, gritting her teeth. Faking a smile, she stood and left the house, hurrying down the stairs as quickly as she could.  
  
What is wrong with you? she scolded herself. She jumped into her car, and pulled the belt around her shoulder, and drove off as fast as she could back to her apartment. Her mind was in a whirl. Why I am so apprehensive about going back to the underground? Of course she knew the answer, she just didn't want to admit it to herself. Carefully she made sure her mind was at the task at hand, which was driving.  
  
The drive was approximately a half an hour from her apartment to her parent's, and she made it back there in twenty. Sure she had probably broken the speed limit a bit too much, but at this point she didn't care. She was almost frantic with the thought that this was her last day here. What if he doesn't let you come back? was the most reoccurring thought she had.  
  
The only way she would find out any of the answers to her questions was to actually go back there. She slammed the door to her apartment and walked into the tiny room that was her kitchen. Sitting down on a wire chair that was supposed to be fashionable, but lacked comfort, she lit a cigarette and smoked it almost instantly. Resolved, she told herself there was nothing to be afraid of. She had faced him when she was fifteen, and now that she was twenty-four she could do it again, right?  
  
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are totally great. Thank you all so much for the plot ideas, but I already had this chapter written beforehand, but they were all good suggestions. The next chapter is more labyrinth and Jareth involved, so never fear it's getting there. Please review if you think I should continue. Bye (*waves*). 


	3. Agent 0013

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.  
  
"Ah, Miss Williams, I thought for sure you would be a no show today," said Mr. Leach a bit too cheerfully the next day. Sarah rolled her eyes skyward and replied sarcastically, "Well, then, I guess you don't know everything after all do you?" He glared for a moment, thought better of it, then shrugged and walked off. "Follow me," he called over his shoulder at the still seething brunette.  
  
Sarah reluctantly followed a retreating Mr. Leach back into his wider, spacious office. Entering the room a number of men in black suits stood, and Mr. Leach motioned for them to be seated once she had her place amongst them. "These men will brief you on your mission, and your objective," he said hurriedly once Sarah had opened her mouth to speak. She couldn't get in a word in as he kept going, "And they will give you the proper attire and supplies." At this point Sarah had all she could stand.  
  
"Enough!" she shouted, her face turning red from embarrassment and anger. "You have no idea who you are talking to, do you?" she asked impatiently, folding her arms across her chest. "I beat the Labyrinth, in other words, I solved it. Something that I'm sure no one here could ever do, and secondly, what in the world does the underground have to do with the CIA?" Mr. Leach, smiling a little, said, "It has everything to do with the CIA. And, you will do what we say because if you don't, not only will you be out of a job, but it would also mean the termination of the "underground" as you call it.  
  
Sarah sat down stunned as her legs gave out from under her. "You mean, the whole point of this "mission" is whether or not it deserves to exist? That's sick." Mr. Leach, apparently indignant, suddenly looked fierce as he replied, "We can't compromise the human race's security over a meaningless world that has no apparent usefulness."  
  
Sarah sighed, now she was determined to prove Mr. Leach and his "associates" sitting around the room wrong. She stood, a determined and resolved look on her face, and clenched her fists. "Fine," and she left the room, and the men in suits, now to be counted as five, lead her towards a small room that she had never been in due to the "private" sign on the door.  
  
After telling her everything she knew about the underground already, they gave her a multitude of gadgets and gizmos to use there. Including a nifty pair of sunglasses with a camera inserted into the lens, which would record everything she saw or witnessed. The second thing was a utility belt resembling the one Batman would wear in the movies. She laughed as she pictured herself in that situation. She was just a temp, not a brave, daring, spy that accomplished great feats of heroism.  
  
Her ensemble that she was wear consisted of black leather pants that fit snugly, and a black leather zip up top. Plus black gloves and cap that made her even more spy-like. With that done, the men in the expensive looking suits then escorted her to a large room with a table at the center. After she stepped further into the room, the men shut the door behind her. She jumped a little, but then she walked to the object resting complacently on the white table.  
  
The rectangular red leather book was one that she was quite familiar to her. They must've thought I don't know the words in my own book, she thought wryly. Readjusting the black leather gloves adorning her hands, she donned the rose tinted sunglasses and spoke softly, "I wish I were in the labyrinth, part of the underground, right now."  
  
Jolting her senses, the scenery changed abruptly from that of a plain room in the CIA building to the dusty red barren landscape surrounding the huge maze in front of her. A gasp quickly flew from her throat as she gazed at the awaiting terrain. How did I ever solve it? she asked herself. Shrugging, she made sure her black cap was on securely, then she continued stealthily down the steep hill to the gates of the looming structure.  
  
Once she realized no one was around, she carefully unzipped the latch on her pack and pulled out a tape recorder. "Day 1, I'm in the underground for the second time. The terrain is still dusty and dry outside of the structure. The walls of the maze appear to be the same as far as I can tell." As she spoke her glasses took in all she saw. Eventually, she came to the gate she had entered from the first time, and placed the tape recorder back into the pack. She fingered the gate lightly, in awe of the magnitude and strength of the wrought iron that she had missed the first time.  
  
That's when she heard a noise behind her, the mixture of tinkling bells and the blowing of wind and she knew who it was. Slowly she turned and was met by the infamous smirk of the Goblin King. "Jareth," she whispered breathlessly. Everything about him that she remembered from the first time remained the same. His eyes were still beautiful, yet cold and calculating. His hair was still wild and spiky, and golden silk all at the same time. His attire hadn't changed either; he was dressed all in black and sequence.  
  
"See anything you like?" he purred as he noticed her staring at him. Luckily she didn't blush and she was able to gulp down the lump in her throat. "I was just noticing you haven't changed at all," Sarah stated lamely.  
  
The corners of his thin lips turned upwards slightly as he replied, "And you my dear, have, and for the better," he commented while looking her up and down. Shivers went up and down her spine, but not unpleasantly. She had forgotten the black leather outfit she was wearing must've left little to the imagination.  
  
Huffing in frustration, Sarah pulled the black sock cap further down on her scalp while curving her bottom lip upwards and jutted out her jawbone in a definite gesture of annoyance. "Look," she grounded out through her teeth; "believe it or not I'm here to help you. Now, you can let me go about my business, or deter me and let the CIA destroy it because they think it's expendable if it interferes with human life."  
  
Chuckling lightly at her attitude, Jareth tsked in a show of disapproval, "My, my, Sarah, don't you know that of course I'm not just going to leave you alone as you so blatantly put it." He readjusted his gloves, which, Sarah noticed was a good diversion tactic. "What makes you think the CIA has the ability to end the existence of the underground?" Jareth asked smugly.  
  
Slowly Sarah twisted a strand of shining brown hair around her finger in thought. "I don't know," she shrugged, "but, do you really want to find out if they do?" she asked. That stopped Jareth in his tracks. He couldn't help but think it was a good point. Although he had met this Mr. Leach and had gotten the impression that he was a bit of a flake, as mortals put it.  
  
"Are you ready then?" Jareth asked vaguely. A look of confusion donned Sarah's features briefly, "What do you mean?" she asked. Then the dusty red landscape of the outer labyrinth shifted and swirled into that of a drafty stone castle throne room.  
  
Wow! Thank you to each and every one of my reviewers, you guys really make my day. Seriously, I could write so much on how you guys are so great and I really appreciate the positive reviews. I know this may seem like it doesn't have much of a plot right now, but it will all make sense a little later on in the story. I can't give it all away right now, well, I could but that wouldn't be any fun. Review! Review! Review! Pweeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeeee! 


	4. Are You Mocking Me?

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.  
  
Big thank yous go out to the following outstanding people (*drum roll please*) Chapter 1: Jenny Amber Evans Potter DarkAngel-Hotaru terrie Gwenevire BatBLady Anyastazya Chapter 2: Gwenevire Deanne DarkAngel-Hotaru terrie Midnight Lady Jenny Zabella Chapter 3: goodness Julienne Amber Evans Potter Anyastazya Amii Shadow Nightshade Gwenevire Zabella BatBLady DarkAngel-Hotaru terrie  
  
As the scenery changed, Sarah felt a bit light headed from the disorientation at first, then she got a grip on her senses and was able to swallow back the oncoming nausea she felt. Walking to his throne, Jareth sat down with a swish of his cape and stared at a seething Sarah.  
  
"Why and the hell did you bring me here!?" she exclaimed. Jareth put a finger to his chin in mock thought and replied in a show of innocence, "Oh, isn't this what you wanted. Besides I'm sure being in the castle is a lot nicer than braving the wilderness of the labyrinth."  
  
Sarah frowned, and even though she hated to admit it, he did have a point. She really would rather stay in the castle than stay in the labyrinth. After all, the only danger she had to face here was Jareth himself. Shrugging, Sarah nonchalantly spoke, "What can I say, you're right."  
  
Jareth put a hand to his mouth in mock surprise and said, "What's this, Sarah is actually admitting that someone other than herself is right. The world must be coming to an end." "Al right," Sarah said in frustration, "enough with the mocking here. I'm trying to be polite and you're not helping." Chuckling in amusement, Jareth readjusted the gloves formed to his hands.  
  
"Because you wished yourself away to me, I'm now your king and you must obey me. Which I know will be hard for you. So, I prepared a wing of the castle for you that's off limits from everyone, and there you will stay," Jareth stated without fanfare. Thinking it over, and not seeing any traps in his proposal, Sarah smiled slightly and replied, "That's fine with me."  
  
Jareth hid his look of genuine shock with a mask of indifference. He couldn't believe she had just agreed to stay in his castle with him without even a hint of an argument. Standing regally, he walked down the steps to the floor in front of Sarah, who had taken a step back involuntarily. Jareth smiled wickedly, and Sarah knew immediately that he was up to something. "Why Sarah it seems that you still fear me. That would be wise on your part," and he gave her a cold glance as well as a delicious smile, to things that contradicted beautifully. He did this while walking past her.  
  
Biting her lip she tried hard not to laugh at how he tried to be menacing. Maybe she had feared him when she was fifteen, but now she could see through his flimsy façade of intimidation.  
  
An uncomfortable silence enveloped them while they walked side by side down the hallway; the only sound was their breathing and the clicking of their combined footsteps on the floor. "So," Sarah asked suddenly, "how's life?" When he didn't answer her immediately, Sarah began to wonder if she had said something wrong. That's when she noticed he had stopped walking, and she looked behind herself and noticed he stood there watching her intently.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" he asked sternly, placing both of his fists on his tight clad hips. Smirking Sarah replied, "Oh come on Goblin King," she said mockingly, "you know very well what I mean." A genuine smile and a hearty laugh erupted from Jareth as he watched her mock him. He had to admit she had gotten his attitude down perfectly. But, just to show her that he wouldn't let her get one up on him, he crossed his arms in front of him and stuck his lower lip out in a pout while saying in a whining voice, "It's not fair."  
  
Now it was Sarah's turn to laugh. "You say that so often, I wonder what your basis for comparison is?" she said in his accented voice. They both broke out in a fit of giggles and Jareth rejoined Sarah at her side and offered her his arm like a gentleman should. "Well, to put in frankly, Sarah dear, life has been a living hell since you were last here. Being the Goblin King isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sure you get magic and a castle, but it's glamour magic and a drafty castle. Plus your subjects are a bunch of bumbling, drooling goblins who don't have a half a brain between them." Sarah giggled at that one.  
  
Suddenly serious, Sarah looked over at Jareth and asked, "So, why don't you just quit?" "Quit?" he questioned. "Did I stutter? All you have to do is go to whoever made you Goblin King in the first place and tell them you're giving them your two weeks notice, and hightail it out of here. That's what I would do anyway," Sarah said honestly. Sighing, Jareth spoke softly, "I wish things were that easy. But once a Goblin King always a Goblin King. The only way is to get out of it is to produce an heir, and unless you offer to do it yourself I don't exactly have women lined up to help me out in that department."  
  
Stifling a giggle, Sarah then said, "Well, are we almost there yet?" Shaking his head yes, Jareth pointed her down a hallway that branched off to the right. "Your rooms are down there," he said raising an eyebrow. "Thank you," Sarah replied sincerely, flashing a small smile, and then heading down the hall to explore. Jareth watched her intently as she walked down the hallway and Sarah could feel his eyes upon her back.  
  
I know that chapter was a little on the short side, but it's all I had time to write. Please review, I can't believe I have so many already. Usually when I write a story I don't get up to 26 reviews until the tenth chapter. But, the more the merrier. I don't mind flames as long as they're constructive. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm on to the next one. Ciao. 


	5. Dilemma

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.  
  
A special note to BatBLady: it was a good thought and I like that you're thinking. I like to make people think. You're close, but you missed it a little. There wasn't a deal between Jareth and Leach, but Leach is up to something. But, I don't wanna give too much away. Thanks for taking an interest in the plot though (*grins*).  
  
The candlelight was reflected in his eyes as he watched the dancing flames licking and intermingling with each other. He felt relaxed at least physically, but his mind was in turmoil as he lied down upon his overtly large bed in the center of his grand room. Jareth pulled the silken black bed sheets up to his chin while the fireplace across from him was almost therapeutic.  
  
His thoughts were on Sarah and what to do with her. Having met her boss he concluded that she would rather stay here with him than return to her place of work, well, at least permanently. He knew she was trying to help, but he feared that there was something more than met the eye about the agency she worked for.  
  
These thoughts plagued him and he struggled with sleep, but it never came. Sighing, he threw the covers off of his lithe form in annoyance, and rose to roam the castle halls as he was known for doing when he couldn't sleep. Rounding a corner he unexpectedly bumped into a disheveled looking Sarah. She was dressed in a silken black robe that complimented her pale skin and light eyes. She took his breath away, literally. "What are you doing up?" he managed to ask when his voice returned.  
  
Sarah shrugged and looked innocent. "I was just walking around. I couldn't sleep. I guess you couldn't either huh?" she concluded, crossing her arms. "Nope," Jareth replied, pulling a hand through his spiky blonde locks. For some reason Sarah couldn't pull her eyes away from him, and she was sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he was only clothed in a pair of black form fitting pants. His chest was bare and the milky whiteness of his well-defined chest beckoned to be touched. Sarah resisted the urge to reach out a hand and test the solitude of his body.  
  
Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, Sarah asked, "Want to talk about it?" He must have thought it over because it took him a moment to answer back, "I have a suspicion about your boss. There seems to be something he's not telling you about your duty here. Are you sure you've told me everything?" Jareth asked. Sarah put a finger to her chin in thought and replied, "Yes, I've told you everything he told me. I think you're just reading too much into it."  
  
Nodding, Jareth gave in. "You must be right. Well, now that's put to rest, I'm going to try to get some rest. I suggest you do the same. Good night Sarah," Jareth said turning to go back to his room. "Night," Sarah said lightly. Staring after him for a moment, Sarah turned on her heel to go the opposite direction.  
  
Reaching her room she pulled open the mahogany door to her spacious room. The rooms that Jareth had given her to stay in included a library, which could be considered a study of sorts also, a bathing room, a bedroom, and a room that was an indoor garden. The garden room was definitely her favorite room. It had a bridge that went over a small manmade pond surrounded by fragrant blooms and a waterfall that cascaded into it by a small stream.  
  
Stepping into the bedroom, she pulled the robe off of her shoulders to reveal a dark thin nightgown that fit her full form perfectly. Exhaling, she slipped into the comforting sheets of the large bed. She breathed in the fragrance of the room and noticed that it smelled like Jareth. A small smile lit her face as she thought about him. He was so beautiful in a masculine way. Sighing, she knew that her feelings for him couldn't get in the way of the investigation though.  
  
Thinking about him was so comforting, she felt her body relax and her breathing slow until her eyelids closed and she fell asleep.  
  
A light rapping on the door awoke Sarah and she stiffened once she heard the sound. Looking down she realized she was still in bed, but the window across from her indicated it to be around noon. Quickly she sprang from the bed and pulled on the discarded robe from the night before. "Just a moment," she called softly, tying the sash around her waist. Padding softly to the door, it surprised Sarah when it flew open and in stomped a furious looking Jareth. His eyes were blazing and she could tell something had set him off. From the look of things it was her, and she took a few quick step backward to avoid him.  
  
His body was rigid with anger, and his jaw was clenched tightly. Pulling the robe around her tighter Sarah asked nervously, "Jareth, what's wrong." "You know very well what's wrong," he ground out through gritted teeth. Startled, Sarah replied, "Obviously I don't or I wouldn't have asked."  
  
Taking great strides toward her until he was a few feet from her, he seethed, "You lied to me. Last night when you supposedly couldn't sleep you had been up in your study writing to Mr. Leach. I found these," he held up her stationery in his gloved hand, "You've been spying on me," he stated simply, his eyes searching hers. Stuttering slightly, Sarah said, "I wasn't spying on you, Jareth, it's my report. It's what I'm supposed to do. Please don't be angry with me," she pleaded earnestly. Jareth sneered and a snide remark flew from his lips, "If you're so eager to please, why don't you return to earth to your precious Mr. Leach," and he turned and stalked hotly out of the room. His words stung Sarah and she sank to the floor in a heap of sorrow.  
  
Thanks for the reviews everyone! You guys are so awesome. I think I have the best reviewers on fanfiction.net. I'm so lucky (*winks*). I know this chapter is sorta short, but I have an essay due in history, and it's a butt to write. 


	6. Running Away

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
Summary: Sarah is a temp agent at the CIA (yes I did say CIA) and gets pulled into a reconnaissance mission involving the labyrinth. And, if I tell you anymore it will ruin the story, so read and find out what happens.  
  
Wiping the rebellious tears that slid slowly down her cheeks with the sleeve of her robe, Sarah stood slowly and wrapped the robe tighter around her waist. Sniffing slightly she walked over to the wardrobe that Jareth had provided her with and chose a peach colored simple dress. It had bell sleeves and a dipping neckline, yet it was good enough to wear outdoors, which is exactly what she needed.  
  
Sarah didn't know what had happened to the clothes the CIA had provided her with, but after she had stepped out of the bath earlier they were no longer there. Now she was stuck with a dress she didn't want to wear even if it did look great on her. She pulled her hair back into a bun with skilled fingers revealing her long, graceful neck.  
  
The next thing she needed were shoes. Opening the same wardrobe that she had found the dress in, she discovered a bottom drawer that was filled with mostly elegant lady's slippers, none, which really suited her purpose, but she pulled out a matching peach colored pair and decided they would have to do.  
  
Ready to go, she opened the door to her room cautiously, bating her breath as if not to be heard. At this point she was glad that the shoes had no heels so she could sneak stealthily down the hallway undetected. Once at the end of the hallway, she peaked her head around the corner and looked both ways to make sure the coast was clear.  
  
Unfortunately a trio of roaring drunk, bumbling goblins occupied the left hallway. They were all short and fat and had little piggy noses and beady dark eyes. Sarah thought that maybe she could head down the right hallway and maybe they wouldn't see her, but that was too risky. A feeling of resolve went through her, and she squared her shoulders and held her head high.  
  
Sticking her nose in the air she tried to seem like a noble woman. "Which way to the outer doors of the castle?" she demanded rudely, very out of character. The goblins all shut up and then looked at Sarah greedily. One of the drunkest goblins stepped forward, and said in a slur, "Theys be dat (hiccup) vay," he said pointing a gnarled pudgy finger down the right hallway.  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief Sarah turned on her heel and hurried down the other hallway. She was glad she wouldn't have to continue down the other hallway past the other two drunken goblins.  
  
Finally reaching the outer doors past twisting hallways that she had ventured down, she wasn't sure how to open the doors. They were rather large, but gathering her strength, she put her back into pushing the doors open with all her might.  
  
Budging a little, she was able to fit through the crack she had created between the door and the doorway. She continued to rush down the steps leading from the castle two at a time, and she ran all the way to the outer gates leading to the labyrinth from the Goblin City. She was almost certain she was home free now. Until she realized that opening the gate before hadn't been an issue because of the hug mechanical robot that had occupied that space.  
  
Sighing she looked around, searching for a way to make it past the gates. Not seeing any, she noticed the sides of the gate had slightly rungs in it, and maybe she could scale her way up the wall, but getting down would be another story.  
  
Until another option presented itself, Sarah hiked up her dress slightly and started to climb up the side of the gate to the top of the wall. It took her a while, but reaching the top she was able to catch her breath a bit. Looking around she saw the entire labyrinth from her vantage point. It still seemed so enormous to her. Slightly in awe, she looked down and the ground seemed so far away. Gulping slightly she couldn't find a way down.  
  
Closing her eyes, she bit her lip and leaped from the top of the wall, her dress billowing out around her.  
  
Okay, I was just told that I'm "pressuring" you guys to review. So, I won't ask you to unless you want to. I'm sorry if anyone felt "pressured", but that was certainly not my intention. I got an A on my essay, so taking time off of the story wasn't a complete waste at least. Ciao. 


	7. Hey Jude

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
I was listening to Hey Jude today when I should've been doing my homework (*evil laugh*). Anyway that was my inspiration for this chapter. I'm a big Beatles fan. They're my favorite, next to David Bowie that is. Enjoy!  
  
Hey Jude Don't make it bad Take a sad song And make it better Remember to let her into your heart Then you can start To make it better ~Hey Jude by The Beatles  
  
Closing her eyes, she bit her lip and leaped from the top of the wall, her dress billowing out around her.  
  
For some reason, instead of plunging straight to the hard stone ground below her as she thought she would, she descended slowly until her feet touched the ground without a sound. Then she saw why once she looked up and saw a not too happy looking Jareth standing before her.  
  
His arms were crossed in front of his chest, while an upswept eyebrow was raised in a cynical manner as if demanding an explanation as to what she was doing. A boot clad foot was tapping impatiently on the stones as if to emphasize this point.  
  
Knowing that she didn't have a good excuse for what she had done, a sheepish expression came over Sarah's face. Uncrossing his arms Jareth scoffed and then started to stalk around her in circles, watching her intently, waiting for a reaction.  
  
Seeing that he wasn't going to get one from her any time soon, he stepped closer in front of her until they were practically toe to toe. Sarah gulped slightly, but she refused to be intimidated. She resisted the urge to take a welcomed step backwards.  
  
"I don't recall giving you permission to the leave the castle," Jareth said haughtily in an accented growl. Sarah's eyes were now flaming with anger as she replied sarcastically, "I wasn't aware that I needed your permission, Your Highness."  
  
Clenching his jaw, now seething, Jareth threatened, "I wouldn't talk like that if I were you." Scoffing at his audacity, Sarah replied, "Well, your not. Last time I checked I was the person in charge of my life and my decisions, not you." Smirking, Jareth fixed his gloves. "That's where you're wrong, my dear. While you live in my castle, under my roof, I am in charge of your life. You've become one of my subjects just by staying here."  
  
Sarah crossed her arms in annoyance. "What's it matter anyway? You told me to go back to "my precious Mr. Leach". At least I was making an attempt." While she spoke she rocked slightly forward on the balls of her feet.  
  
Grabbing her arms roughly, Jareth pushed his face right in hers and spoke low and dangerously. "Make no mistake, Sarah, I have been generous. Don't take my generosity as weakness. I've been pushed to my limits by your insolence." His strong hands were starting to bruise her upper arms, but Sarah wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know that.  
  
His eyes burned deeply into hers, and for some reason she couldn't tear her eyes away from his alluring gaze. Yet, at the same time she knew she had to or else he would see how she felt because his eyes were so calculating that she was afraid that he could see her soul.  
  
At the same time, Jareth, too, was having a hard time controlling his feelings for her. He was angry with her, yes, but at the same time the anger made his passion rise to unbearable. Jareth wanted Sarah. It was as simple as that. Before he could stop his hunger, he leaned forward and drank deeply from her full lips.  
  
Startled at first, Sarah felt his thin yet soft lips against hers in a gentle caress, but slowly she began to respond. The hold he had on her upper arms relaxed a little, and then he let go of her arms, and placed them on her waist to bring her closer. Smiling when she felt his hands on her hips, she placed her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his golden strands of silken hair.  
  
Their bodies radiated electricity as their passions mounted. Sarah felt Jareth start to pull away, and once his lips left hers she immediately felt empty again. But, when he saw her looking flushed and her lips swollen from his kiss, he couldn't resist and he pulled her closer to his chest and lowered his head to kiss her again.  
  
Seeing that he was about to kiss her again, Sarah placed her hands on Jareth's chest trying to push him away. "Don't please," she pleaded desperately. Appearing perplexed, Jareth asked, "Why?" "I,I just can't," Sarah stammered, and tore away from the safety of his arms.  
  
Without looking back she ran towards the direction of the labyrinth once again. Jareth swore under his breath and watched her run from him. This would never do. If she didn't trust him now, how was she ever going to when he told her about the secret no one was supposed to know about the CIA?  
  
Thank you everyone for all the wonderfully nice reviews even the last chapter was a bit short. I hope this one made up for it. Please review, but I say that in a non-pressuring way. Hehe. 


	8. Dirty Little Secret

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or the characters portrayed in the story. If you don't believe me watch the movie.  
  
Special note to Amber Evans Potter: I totally agree with you about Sarah. She's such a wimp. And to the person that called Jareth a wussy: Yep he's a wussy and Sarah's a wimp, so they're perfect for each other. LOL. Go read now.  
  
She ran, only she didn't know where she was going, but that didn't matter. Sarah stopped to catch her breath by putting her hands on her knees. Looking up she realized what a big mistake that was once she saw Jareth standing before her. "Sarah, that was most childish," he chided. Standing upright, Sarah felt tears running down her cheeks. She didn't know why she was crying, but yet she couldn't stop the tears from falling.  
  
"I can't do this," she said vaguely, leaving Jareth to wonder what she was talking about. "Do what?" he asked. Shaking her head Sarah looked away and refused to answer further. Exasperated, Jareth said, "How can I ever know what's wrong if you won't tell me? Look at me, Sarah," he demanded when she wouldn't make eye contact with him.  
  
Sarah knew that once she did look at him all the feelings she had would come rushing back. Grudgingly, she obeyed him. Their eyes locked and Sarah saw a deep sense of concern. Sniffing, Sarah whispered, "I can't take any more rejection."  
  
Accepting her confession, Jareth stepped forward and took her small hands into his gloved ones, and said softly, "I won't reject you Sarah. You anger me, sometimes more than I can stand, but I will never leave you. I'm not your mother nor your father and stepmother. And if I do leave it will be because you wish it."  
  
Seeing that he was sincere, Sarah fell into his arms, grateful for the feeling of security. "I'm sorry," she said in between sobs with her head buried in his chest. Jareth rested his chin on her head and stroked her soft, silky locks. "I'm afraid I have some bad news," Jareth stated.  
  
Her curiosity peaked; Sarah looked up at him with a furrowed brow and puffy red eyes. "What is it?" she asked. He sighed, not really wanting to tell her. "Let's return to the castle first," and as he spoke the labyrinth faded around them and they reappeared in Sarah's study.  
  
Jareth lead Sarah to a seat and he sat next to her, holding her hand. "I've been spying on your boss. Ever since he wished himself away I've been able to view him in my crystals. He's up to something. I'm not sure you're going to believe me once I tell you what it is."  
  
Gulping slightly in anxiety, Sarah looked at Jareth with wide, frightened eyes and said, "Continue." "The reason he brought you here was not for the purpose you think it was. You see he planned all along to terminate the existence of the labyrinth. But he was going to do it while you were still here. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" he asked compassionately.  
  
It all began to come together in Sarah's mind. The pieces of the puzzle began to connect, and she gasped slightly in horrified shock. She brought her hand up to her mouth in surprise and asked, "You mean they sent me here because besides Leach I was the only one who knew about this place?"  
  
Jareth nodded his head grimly in silent agreement. Anger creasing her brow Sarah fumed, "I can't believe that! I may have been a secretary, but I was a good secretary. I mean, I made them coffee and everything." Chuckling a little at her naiveté, Jareth put his arm around her in support.  
  
"So, what are we going to do about this?" Jareth asked. A little stunned that he was asking her for ideas and not vice versa, it took Sarah a moment to respond. "You could just go to earth and erase their memories, couldn't you?" she asked hopefully.  
  
But her hopes were dashed when he replied, "As much as I would like to I'm afraid mind control isn't my area of expertise." Mulling it over, Sarah couldn't see anyway to stop them. "I'm sorry Jareth," she said, "I honestly don't know."  
  
Sarah felt bad, but it was his kingdom after all. He was the one with all the powers, besides. That's when it came to her. Jumping to her feet Sarah exclaimed, "I've got it! We could take them to court!" Puzzled Jareth asked, "What's court?" "You know," Sarah started, "it's where you present your case to a judge and he decides who's right and who's wrong. And you really have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"  
  
Sarah could tell this from the obvious confusion on his face. "It's all right," Sarah explained, "I can be your lawyer. Before I became a secretary for the CIA I was studying law in college. I have a law degree. I just decided to pursue other careers after college. It'll be a piece of cake," she said excitedly.  
  
Seeing that she had everything planned out; Jareth stood and wrapped his arms around her in a strong, loving embrace. "I knew you'd work everything out," he whispered, burying his face in her hair. "The only problem is," Sarah continued, pulling back a little to look at him, "getting the judge and jury to believe our story."  
  
So now you know the secret. But, there's a bunch more to happen in the story before it's over, so fear not. I will write more as soon as I can. Review if you feel like it. 


	9. Under Pressure

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Tony Leach sat back into his plush beige swivel chair not believing the papers across from him. According to the documents, he was scheduled to appear in court on November 16 and that his secretary Sarah Williams was suing him and a man named Jareth. It seemed suspicious to Leach that this Jareth person had no last name printed on file.  
  
He scoffed haughtily as he imagined the case wouldn't be upheld in court. It was quite plain to him that Sarah must've figured out his plan to get rid of her and the labyrinth at the same time. He realized it was taking a human life, but what's one life compared to that of all mankind? Leach believed that in his own warped sense of what was right that he was taking the correct course of action.  
  
Thinking it over, he called one of his most loyal agents into the room. "Hey Bob come over here a sec would you?" he called over the speakerphone. Bob appeared at his door instantaneously. "Yeah Boss?" asked Bob. Tony motioned for him to have a seat, and Bob did so while closing the door behind him.  
  
"I need you to go on a mission for me. The labyrinth operation has been compromised, so I'm sending you and two others to depart for there and set up detonators. Get out as quickly as possible before they go off, do you understand?" Leach asked.  
  
Bob nodded grimly. He knew the detonators his boss was talking about, and he also knew anyone in that place within 20 miles of any of the explosions would perish. He may not have been fond of Sarah Williams, but he didn't wish her dead. Still, what his boss said went before morals, so he laid aside his qualms and hurried out of the office to do his boss's bidding.  
  
Leaning back further in his chair, Tony steepled his fingers while a smile of contentment came over his face.  
  
"Checkmate!" Sarah exclaimed happily while taking Jareth's king from him. They were engaged in a rigorous game of chess, and Sarah was steadily winning over a bemused Jareth. He had never been beaten before, but only having played against goblins, it was a welcomed change to be playing against someone who was equally skilled as himself.  
  
They both sat on opposite ends of a barrel with a chessboard balanced precariously on the top. The barrel itself was centered in the throne room. Jareth and Sarah both sat on stools. The goblins watched from the corners, some interested in what was going on, and some more interested in their tails as they chased them.  
  
Suddenly, Jareth stiffened, and he conjured a crystal and peered into it anxiously. Sarah saw the sudden change in his mood and she wondered what had come over him. Seeing the apprehension on his face as he stared into the crystal, Sarah could take it no longer. "What is it?" she asked. Looking over at her briefly and seeing that she was worried, Jareth replied, "We have visitors." And with that he vanished leaving a slightly fearful Sarah behind.  
  
Reappearing just outside the Bog of Eternal Stench, Jareth found one of the CIA agents setting up what appeared to be some kind of clock on a tree. Only it wasn't a clock.  
  
The agent had yet to realize Jareth was standing behind him as his back was to him, so Jareth took this to his advantage and lifted the man off his feet by the back of his neck. "Hey!" the man exclaimed indignantly. Jareth then threw the man to the ground in front of him. The man turned to face Jareth while scrambling away hurriedly. "Who are you!" the man exclaimed in fear. "Someone who's going to make your life very fragrant if you don't tell me what you're doing here," Jareth threatened quietly.  
  
Seeing that the man wasn't going to answer him, Jareth located the other two intruders and reappeared back to the castle with them in tow.  
  
Sarah had been pacing back and forth anxiously and she was glad when Jareth had finally returned. The sense of relief didn't last long though, and she looked behind him and saw three men that she recognized. Gasping she asked, "What are they doing here?" Jareth shrugged and said, "Why don't you ask them?"  
  
Stepping around a still angered Jareth, Sarah stood in front of the bound agents. "Leach put you up to this didn't he?" Even though she knew they wouldn't answer. They were trained not to answer any questions. Sighing, Sarah said, "Jareth send them back to earth."  
  
A surprised look came over Jareth's face and he asked, "Why would I ever do that?" "Because I said so," Sarah returned crossly. When he didn't comply, Sarah growled and pulled Jareth off to the side. "We need to send them back because if we're taking them to court, we don't want to be accountable for three CIA agents."  
  
Not really agreeing with Sarah, but seeing that she was resolved to letting them go, with a wave of his hand the place where the three disheveled CIA agents had once stood was now empty. Letting go of the breath she didn't know she had been holding, Sarah wondered aloud, "I wish I knew what they were doing here."  
  
Jareth replied naively, "They were hanging clocks on trees." A perplexed expression came over Sarah's face, and then that of dawning horror as she realized what Jareth was talking about. "Oh shit," she swore. "Those weren't clocks. They were bombs. You have to take me to them," she demanded forcefully. Not knowing what a bomb was, Jareth shrugged and transported them to the site of the first bomb. It had 6 minutes left on it.  
  
Not really knowing how to disarm a bomb, Sarah bent down while sweat beaded on her brow. In movies she knew they always cut the red wire, but for some reason she wasn't sure. It was the CIA after all. Then she saw that there was a keypad on the same end as the clock. "Maybe there's a code," she whispered.  
  
Thinking frantically to anything she could remember, she typed in different names and words. Then she typed in her own name as a hunch, and thankfully the clock stopped with 2 minutes left.  
  
Jumping up she exclaimed, "Were there anymore clocks that you saw?" Jareth put a hand to his chin and scratched it while staring off into space. Then he snapped his fingers, "Yes, there are two others." Sarah demanded, "Well, just don't stand there, take me to them."  
  
The second bomb was located at the beginning of the labyrinth, and Sarah knelt down so she was eye level with it. Her stomach ached and her lips were dry. Her tongue had the consistency of sandpaper as she worked with shaking hands on the codes. Finally with 50 seconds left to go, the clock halted its count down.  
  
Seeing that she was finished, Jareth didn't wait to be told again, and he and Sarah reappeared just outside the castle. A bomb was stuck firmly to the wall of the castle. Running up the stairs, Sarah was dismayed to find there was only 2 minutes left on this clock. "Damn it," she swore. Getting to work she hurried to think of anything she might know about the CIA and typed it in.  
  
Soon her hands were trembling so bad from the adrenaline that she had to have Jareth type it in for her. With 20 seconds left, it was coming down to crunch time. Sarah thought hard and quickly, then it came to her. "Try Leach!" she exclaimed frantically. Jareth typed it in as fast as he could, and then the clock ceased to tick with 3 seconds left. They both let out sighs of relief. "That was too close for comfort," Sarah said, wiping sweat from her brow.  
  
Thanks for the reviews. I really do appreciate them, even the negative ones because it makes me realize all my mistakes. Never said I was perfect anyway. Please do keep reviewing, and I'm not saying that you have to. It's totally voluntary. 


	10. One Shot

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
The next day Sarah and Jareth appeared outside the courthouse in New York. The building was made of pure white stone and ridiculously tall. The pair appeared commonplace, blending beautifully with the crowd. Sarah convinced a hesitant Jareth to wear a blue suit and to cut his hair short. She knew he could just grow it back using his magic.  
  
Sarah was dressed in a black business jacket and a mid-calf length skirt. The only jewelry she wore was a string of pearls around her neck and a watch with a black band around her left wrist. Carrying her briefcase, in one hand, the other arm was looped through Jareth's, as she didn't want to lose him amidst all the people there.  
  
Together they ascended the steps leading to the building's door. Once inside the courthouse, they stopped and asked a security guard at a desk watching a rerun of Seinfeld where the nearest elevator was. He pointed a finger down a corridor, and the two stepped into a sleek gray elevator. Never being in an elevator before, Jareth felt a little apprehensive. He didn't like the way it made his stomach feel.  
  
Sensing his nervousness, Sarah patted his shoulder, "It's OK," she reassured him, "it will only take a couple of seconds." The elevator stopped on the 5th floor and the doors flew open in front of them. "See there's nothing to be afraid of," Sarah explained, stepping out of the elevator and into the adjoining hallway.  
  
Straightening his tie, Jareth joined Sarah in the hallway, and they continued to the lobby of that floor. Entering the lobby, Sarah spotted Mr. Leach, and she pulled Jareth, whose back was to Leach, in front of her so he couldn't start something before the trial.  
  
"Listen to me," Sarah instructed, looking Jareth in the eye. "Whatever you do, let me do the talking in there, all right? You don't understand earth's laws, I mean it took me practically my whole life to understand them completely and I've lived here during that time." Jareth nodded his head absently and looked around. He was too busy studying all the mortals around him. He'd never seen so many in one place before.  
  
The red wooden doors to their courtroom opened, and an officer of the court stepped out and announced, "Case number 7718." Nodding Sarah said, "That's us," and led Jareth through the door, hurrying before Leach could see her. He must've spotted her amidst the throng though, as he followed closely behind her. "Too bad you don't have a case," he mocked.  
  
Feeling his blood boil, Jareth tried hard to remain calm. This pathetic excuse for a mortal had threatened the only woman he had ever cared about, not to mention his subjects and the world he lived in. Before he knew what he was doing, Jareth turned swiftly and grabbed Leach by the throat.  
  
Sarah knew Jareth wasn't following her anymore, and she turned to tell him to catch up. Surprise registered on her face as she saw Jareth firmly gripping Mr. Leach's neck in his hand. Hurrying toward him, she dropped her briefcase and grabbed Jareth's arm. "Don't do this," she pleaded desperately. People were running away in fear from the gruesome display, and a policeman inside the courtroom must've heard the commotion. The officer stepped towards Jareth, drawing his gun.  
  
"Put the man down," he ordered evenly, aiming the gun at Jareth's heart. Smiling wickedly, Jareth only squeezed harder. "Never," he whispered, enjoying the erratic pulse beneath his hand being distinguished.  
  
The officer, feeling obligated to help Mr. Leach, pulled back on the trigger, the hammer pulling back slowly. Sarah watched horrified as the scene unfolded. As the officer was getting ready to shoot, Sarah knew she couldn't let Jareth get shot. Cursing she jumped in front of him, but the officer had already pulled the trigger, and a loud bang resounded through the acoustically sound building.  
  
A warm sticky wetness flowed just below her ribs, and she looked down to see a gaping hole. Grabbing the wound she staggered and then fell to the ground as unconsciousness claimed her.  
  
By now, frightened hordes of people had already started to exit the building. Security agents scrambled around trying in vain to keep people calm. Throwing a passed out Mr. Leach across the room where his body connected with the wall with a sickening thud. A deep sense of regret overwhelmed Jareth as he kneeled down to a pale and barely breathing Sarah.  
  
The security guard across from him that had shot her didn't even looked fazed. This time his anger wasn't to be restrained, and he lashed out with a brilliant ball of light that blinded the onlookers. It hit the man square in the chest, where he imploded and disappeared. Growling deep in his throat, Jareth picked up Sarah's limp form, and stood.  
  
Gathering his strength he was barely able to transport them back to the underground before his grief overcame him. Without knowing it he had lain Sarah down on his bed instead of her own. It hadn't really mattered. With a quaking hand he felt the side of her neck for a pulse.  
  
He was relieved to feel a slight thudding beneath his fingertips. Her pulse was weak, but he was grateful for finding one. Cursing he realized he wouldn't be able to heal her, so searched his mind frantically for the name of a physician. Then it came to him, the dwarf Abernathy had been dealing with medicine ever since he was a boy. He would assuredly know what to do.  
  
Changing into his normal apparel so the old doctor would recognize him, Jareth transported Dr. Abernathy without hesitation to his castle. Slightly appalled, it took Abernathy a moment to get his bearings. He was a short, stout old man with half moon spectacles and a long white beard. Resembling a demented Santa Clause, Abernathy looked around and saw Sarah lying on the bed.  
  
Even though the dark suit she was wearing blended with the bloodstain forming on it, Abernathy sensed that that was his patient. Abernathy strung the stethoscope around his neck and pressed the cold metal piece to Sarah's chest. "What happened to the poor girl?" Abernathy asked in a nasal voice. Gulping back the lump in his throat, Jareth croaked, "She was shot. Can you heal her?" Abernathy nodded his head firmly. "It's possible, but it's going to take a while for her to heal."  
  
Straight away Dr. Abernathy got to work. First he removed the bullet from the wound on Sarah's chest. Next, he mixed a solution of water and herbs and made a thick paste, which he spread over Sarah's wound. This stopped the bleeding. Then he wrapped a sterile white cloth around it and tied it in place. "There," he said after he had finished. "That should do it. Make sure she stays in bed for a couple weeks."  
  
Waving his hand, Dr. Abernathy disappeared to where he had come from due to Jareth's wanting to be alone. Walking slowly to his bed, he slumped down to his knees beside Sarah. Lovingly he stroked her hair which spread out around her head on the pillow.  
  
He wished desperately that he had never pressed her into helping him as he as he had. Guilt overwhelmed him, and he grudgingly let the salty tears he felt prickling the backs of his eyes slide down his angular cheeks.  
  
This chapter was a little sad I admit, but I'm so not telling you what's going to happen next. I hope that wasn't boring. I'm trying to throw in as many plot twists as I can. Please review! It helps me get motivated. 


	11. Smile Like the Sunrise

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Day turned into night, and night turned into day, as Jareth stayed vigilantly by Sarah's side. Still, nothing changed in her condition since that fateful day at the courthouse. Jareth had considered calling the doctor back, but he figured there was nothing further he could do.  
  
As much as he hated to admit it, Jareth would soon have to leave her side. He was a king after all, and he had duties to attend to. Sarah would just have to get better on her own. At least he kept telling himself that.  
  
And then, one day when Jareth thought he could stand the monotony and waiting no longer, Sarah's eyelids started to twitch. Startled by the movement, he shifted closer to his bed and took her pale, limp hand in his.  
  
Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, and confusion and pain reflected deep within their depths. Her eyes roamed the room for a moment before coming to rest on Jareth's elated form. Sarah tried to sit up, but it was in vain as the pain just below her ribs made her break into a sweat, and that Jareth wouldn't let her rise knowing it would cause her more agony.  
  
"Rest, rest," he crooned softly trying to put her at ease. Sarah smiled slightly and Jareth swore it was like watching the sunrise after 100 years of darkness. "What happened?" Sarah croaked her voice dry from the lack of use. Jareth grimaced at her question, and replied, "I'd rather not retell it if you don't mind. It was painful enough the first time."  
  
Sarah leaned back into the pillows, enjoying the feel of being out of that dark place she had just returned from. Her eyelids drooped gradually until she was no longer able to keep them open, and her breathing started to even out. Seeing that she was asleep, Jareth stood and gave her one last regretful look, and then exited his room.  
  
Walking down the hallway he didn't know where he was going, all he knew was that he needed to go somewhere to think. Instead of going to his own study, his feet brought him to Sarah's. Opening the door, he sat on one of the stiff wooden chairs and conjured a crystal simultaneously.  
  
In it, he saw the image of Mr. Leach, only he wasn't in the CIA office as Jareth had expected him to be. He was in a tuxedo looking exceptionally pale and in some type of box upon a dais. People were seated around and some were crying and blowing their noses. Mr. Leach himself looked as if he were sleeping. Feeling a deep sense of regret in his gut, Jareth realized Leach was far more gone than being asleep.  
  
Guilt overwhelmed him at the thought that he had taken a human life. Sighing he rubbed his tired and weary eyes with his hands that felt as heavy as lead. "I'll make this right," he whispered to no one but himself. He was the Goblin King after all, and he could reorder time.  
  
Flashback: "Sarah beware, I have been generous up till now, but I can be cruel." Sarah looked incredulous at Jareth's statement. "Generous," she said, "what have you done that's generous?" "Everything!" he said shortly. "Everything you've wanted I have done. You asked the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me; I was frightening. I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations, isn't that generous?" End Flashback.  
  
Sorry this took me so long to get posted. Between negative reviews and a million chemistry projects I haven't been very motivated to write. (*Sighs*) I know that chapter was short but it was more like a prep-chapter for the next one. You'll see what I mean. Ciao. 


	12. Tears Over You

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Wow, thank you to all the reviewers. Sorry this is a little on the short side. Hope you enjoy it anyway.  
  
Jareth had made up his mind. After much thought and even more pacing, he had decided to reorder time. Only he didn't know to what time period. He could go back in time before Sarah ran the labyrinth, after Sarah had run the labyrinth, or the period of time when she was actually running the labyrinth.  
  
Ultimately, he didn't think it was fair to do it before she had run the labyrinth. That would be too easy. The only thing he was worried about was if he did go back in time, hopefully the Sarah he ran into would still accept him. His time traveling skills weren't refined yet, and there's also a theory that there's more than one past to any one future.  
  
Sighing, he pulled a gloved hand through his hair. Tonight though, tonight he would sleep. Rising stiffly from the chair, Jareth turned to find a slightly bent over Sarah watching him. Her hand was clutching her wound. Shocked at first, Jareth moved to her side to help her. "What are you doing up?" he asked angrily.  
  
Gulping, Sarah had to fight back the nausea that rose to her throat. For some reason she needed to talk to him. "Why were you just sitting there?" she asked in concern. Shrugging, Jareth replied nonchalantly, "I was just thinking." Looking at him in disbelief, Sarah continued, "I don't believe you. You're planning something; I know it. Jareth whatever you plan to do, no good can come of it."  
  
Jareth was appalled at what Sarah had just said. Unless she was a mind reader, there was no possible way she could know about what he was planning. "Sarah, there's nothing to be worried about," he reassured her. "Here," he said putting his arm around her waist, "let me help you back to bed."  
  
Giving him a weak smile, Sarah said, "Thanks. I didn't know how weak I was until I tried to walk here. It was definitely a lot of work." Hearing how distressed she was, Jareth immediately felt guilty. "It's OK, love, after all you got me to help you," he said, and then flashed her a sexy grin.  
  
A little taken aback by his nickname for her, Sarah stopped walking and Jareth felt alarmed. "What's wrong?" he asked. Sarah turned to she could look at him and said, "Jareth, when that security guard had that gun on you in the courthouse that day, I could've just stood there and hoped that he didn't shoot you, or that he missed. But I didn't. Do you understand what I'm saying?" she asked, traitorous tears sliding down her cheeks.  
  
Reaching out a hand, Jareth wiped away her tears gingerly. "Don't cry," he pleaded feeling a lump rising in his own throat. But, no, he would allow the tears to fall. He had to be strong in front of her. After all, tomorrow would be different. "I can't help it," Sarah said in between sobs.  
  
Now her chest was heaving uncontrollably, and Jareth pulled her to him in a crushing embrace. "Don't cry, princess," he said stroking her hair to calm her down. Her arms were wrapped around his strong shoulders and her face was buried firmly in his chest. "I just couldn't let him shoot you," she whispered hoarsely.  
  
Pushing her away from him gently, he looked her in her watery eyes. "Why couldn't you let him shoot me Sarah, tell me why," Jareth demanded tersely. Not really wanting to tell him, but seeing that he wasn't going to let her go unless she told him the truth, Sarah confessed, "Because I love you. Is that what you want me to say?"  
  
Feeling his stomach sink, Jareth turned his head away, as he could no longer look at her. Those three little words he had been waiting to hear from her all his life, and now that she had said them, he wished that she didn't feel that way. Seeing that something distressed him, Sarah cupped his cheeks in her hands and turned his face back toward her. "Look at me. Why won't you tell me what's going on?" she asked desperately.  
  
Almost giving in, almost wanting to tell her, but willing himself against it, Jareth changed the subject. "You should really be in bed now." And he escorted her further down the hall.  
  
In her heart and mind, Sarah felt devastated. 'He hadn't even said I love you, too,' she thought sorrowfully. Giving rid of those treacherous thoughts; Sarah let him help her into bed.  
  
Once again, thank you to all my faithful reviewers. Please keep on reviewing because it really does help get me writing. 


	13. Back at One

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Wow, thank you to all the reviewers. You guys are wonderful. I absolutely agree with you about doing all those things to Mr. Leach, however, you'll just have to wait and see what happens.  
  
Finally able to leave Sarah as she had reluctantly fell asleep, Jareth let out a sigh of relief as he sat down on his own bed. He had taken Sarah to her own room a couple of days ago, and was glad for it. He had begun to tire of sleeping in chairs. They just weren't the same as a bed.  
  
Pulling off his boots and shirt, he laid back on the bed, stretching his legs and yawning. Almost instantly he fell asleep from his exhaustion and stress as they had been slowly eating away at him. But, although his sleep was peaceful, his dreams weren't.  
  
Shadows lurked and taunted him from the dark corners of his mind. Fears and doubts became unlocked and now free to roam around his head and worry him. Sometime before sunrise he awoke in a cold sweat, knowing he wouldn't be able to go back to bed.  
  
Quietly, he slipped his clothes back on and walked as softly in his boots as he could to his study. Here he had gathered books that would aid him in his time manipulation spell. Conjuring a shining crystal that was balanced with grace upon his fingertips. He twirled it while chanting what to a normal personal would be incoherent, unless you knew Latin. (The writer at this point finds herself at a loss for she doesn't know Latin either.)  
  
The crystal had started out as spinning slow, but as the chant started to come to an end, the crystal started to twirl faster and faster until a brilliant white light flashed from the depths of the sphere, blinding a startled Jareth. The air seemed to crackle with all the built up magic energy, and his ears popped slightly.  
  
Upon opening his eyes he was surprised to find himself back in the courthouse. Apparently he hadn't said the spell right. He had wanted to go a little further back in time, but he couldn't reverse it now. In his hands was the neck of Sarah's boss once again. The guard had the gun on him.  
  
Jareth immediately lessened the harsh grip he had on Leach's neck, but still had him where he couldn't escape. That's when from the corner of his eye, Jareth saw Sarah drop her briefcase and start to dive in front of him. "No!" Jareth cried out frantically, dropping Leach to the floor still alive. But, it was too late.  
  
The sound of the bullet leaving the gun could be compared to the sound of Jareth's heart breaking as he watched Sarah get shot again. Grabbing the wound, Sarah started to fall to the floor. Taking action, Jareth rushed to her in order to catch her before she fell. He dropped to the ground with her in his arms, and he cradled her head lovingly. Knowing he could save her again, he transported himself and an unconscious Sarah back to the labyrinth.  
  
As before, he summoned the good doctor Abernathy, and told him what had happened. Abernathy once again cleaned and dressed Sarah's wound, stating that she needed rest. Looking down at his attire, Jareth realized that he was still wearing a business suit. Feeling a bit disgusted; he changed back into his normal apparel of a white shirt and black breeches.  
  
Abernathy was thanked profusely by Jareth, and sent back to his home. Not seeing much else to do but wait, Jareth sat down next to his bed and took Sarah's limp hand in his. Stroking her soft brown hair, he wanted her to wake up soon. Even though she was lying right in front of him, he still missed her terribly.  
  
Just like last time, it took Sarah a while to awaken from her deep slumber. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and Jareth let out a sigh of relief at seeing her conscious again. But what he saw in her eyes as she awakened was something Jareth hadn't expected. She looked alarmed and scared. "What is it, Sarah?" he asked softly, not wanting to scare her further. Gulping, she asked, "Where am I?"  
  
Jareth's brow creased in apprehension. "You're in my castle." A look of pure confusion came over Sarah's face. "Castle?" Cautiously Jareth asked, "Sarah, what do you remember?" Shaking her head, she confirmed Jareth's fears by replying, "Nothing. Is that my name? Sarah?" she asked seriously.  
  
Smacking a hand to his forehead, Jareth cursed. Somehow the traumatic experience she had just undergone had triggered memory loss. Now he was back at square one.  
  
See, Jareth is not as smart as he thinks he is. And I pray to whatever God there is that he didn't see me write that. 


	14. I Remember Loving You

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
As always, thank you to my reviewers. Special note to Amber Evans Potter: Your review cracked me up. But seriously I received serious lashings for my remark, so my advice is run.  
  
The whir of machines and the beep of a heart monitor were the only sounds in the sterile hospital room. The smell was the strong odor of antiseptic and Lysol cleaner. Leach was stretched out upon the bed covered in white sheets. Since his brain hadn't recovered from the lack of oxygen yet, he kept blacking out and when he was awake, he had delusions. Around his head were bands that monitored his brain activity. With his synapses not firing as nearly as fast as they should, he saw things in slow motion too.  
  
But the one delusion that was almost like a fantasy was getting even with that whore Williams and her friend that had strangled him. The only thing that kept him alive was the thought that if he died, he wouldn't be able to get revenge. Carefully he mapped out as best he could in his head what he would do. Besides, he wasn't going anywhere for awhile, so he amused himself by plotting his course of action.  
  
Explaining to Sarah everything that had happened had been painful for Jareth, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He didn't want to have to lie to her further than he already had. It's not that he lied directly to her, but he just didn't tell her everything. There was a good chance that if she found out about him reordering time that she would be furious. Or even want to leave him. He couldn't stand that thought, no matter how selfish it seemed.  
  
Together they sat in Sarah's inside garden room. Sarah sat on a swing that was tied to the ceiling, and Jareth sat on a synthetic rock by a stream. The black skirt she wore billowed around her legs as she swung, and the bell sleeves on her black lace sleeves did as well. Jareth couldn't help but noticed how attractive she looked in black.  
  
They were right across from each other, and no words had been spoken. Sighing, eventually Sarah said, "How long have we known each other?" Straightening his gloves, Jareth replied evenly, "Since you were fifteen." Nodding, Sarah then said, "Right, and how old am I now?"  
  
Becoming slowly impatient, Jareth stated, "You're twenty-four." "So, you've known me for roughly nine years," Sarah concluded. Putting a finger to his chin in thought, Jareth said, "Yes and no. You just now recently joined me here after all that time." Thinking it over, Sarah couldn't see any reason why he would lie to her.  
  
Silence enveloped them once again. "Jareth, is there anyway I'm going to be able to regain my memory?" she asked silently. Feeling pity for her, Jareth stood and joined her on the swing, as it was rather large. "In my opinion, it's possible. But, unfortunately I don't know how to make it happen, which perturbs me."  
  
Sarah's next question came out of the blue. "Jareth?" she asked. "Yes," he replied. "Were we more than just friends, you know, before?" she asked guardedly. Not sure how to respond to that, he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I believe there were mutual feelings of respect between," he evaded. "No silly," Sarah giggled, "I mean did you love me?" Realizing what she had said, she smacked a hand over her mouth as if to push the words back in.  
  
Laughing heartily at her actions, Jareth replied seriously, "Yes, Sarah, I did love you and I still do. The only thing I regret is you telling me that you loved me, and I, like the coward I am, didn't say anything back." Seeing that he had suddenly turned regretful, Sarah placed a hand on his arm. "It's OK," she said softly, "I forgive you because I don't remember, but in some way part of me remembers the feelings I had for you before."  
  
Turning to face her, Jareth looked deeply into the depths of her pale green eyes, melding with his steely blue and green ones. Sarah couldn't help but look back, his eyes like a magnet to her soul. Slowly they were drawn towards one another, like a moth to a flame. Their lips met in a pure, slightly awkward kiss.  
  
Pulling away slightly breathless, Sarah looked at the man in front of her in wonder. Gulping slightly in embarrassment, she looked away. Jareth was alarmed at her action. Was she mad? "What is it?" he asked nervously. Hearing the nervous tremble in his voice, Sarah turned back to face him and said, "I remember now. We're supposed to be friends. Right?" Not wanting to delay his chances any further, he shook his head no. "Then what?" she asked. Keeping eye contact, he stroked her pale slightly rosy cheek with his gloved hand.  
  
"More than friends," he whispered huskily, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers in a more passionate kiss. Sarah, against her own will, returned the kiss in kind. She brought her hands to his shoulders to pull him closer. After a while, Jareth had to break away for air, even though he didn't want to.  
  
His voice a breathless whisper, he asked, "So you remember everything do you?" Nodding, Sarah replied with a smile, "I think your kiss brought it back." "So, you don't blame me for your getting shot?" he asked. Looking horrified, Sarah said, "How could you even think that. If I didn't want to get shot I would have dove in front of you to take the bullet now would I?"  
  
Chuckling, Jareth put his arm around her, drawing her closer to him, "I knew there was a reason I liked you," he teased. Sarah slapped his arm, but snuggled closer to him anyway.  
  
Please review if you feel like it! Sarah and Jareth are finally together! Woohoo! This is not the end by the way. I left too many loose ends to leave it like this obviously. Ciao. 


	15. Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Thank you so much my beautiful reviewers. You guys (and girls) rock. I have a hundred reviews! This is the first time ever I've reached a hundred reviews. (*Runs around the room in a victory lap*). Here's the next chapter; I hope it's not too confusing.  
  
She couldn't breathe. The horribly masked dancers were all about her, cutting her off anyway she turned. Catching a glimpse of herself in the reflective surface of the she bubble she was trapped in, she gasped at her reflection. No longer was she dressed in the jeans and blouse that she had entered the Labyrinth with, as it was replaced with a glorious shimmering ball gown of lustrous pearl. Her hair was done up in with her long bangs pull back to the sides of head by shimmering strands of pearls. Curls of her long hair were draped around her bare shoulders.  
  
Sarah felt somehow out of place. Suddenly she had found herself in a very adult situation and she was only fifteen. Wait, that's not right, her mind screamed at her, you're twenty-four not fifteen. Still her reflection showed her to be as she had been at fifteen. Turning her head away from the surface of the bubble, she pushed her way wearily through the crowd, trying to ignore the jealous frowns the women were giving her and the wolfish grins the men aimed at her.  
  
Weaving her way through the throng, she spotted Jareth. Only he was wearing a hideous ivory mask, just like all the other dancers. Slowly he lowered it to reveal his perfectly sculpted face painted to perfection. His blue sequined suit fit him wonderfully. Walking purposefully towards her, he took her hand and led her into a slow waltz that was in time with the music. Suddenly the beautiful dream changed and no longer were the dancers friendly spectators.  
  
They pulled Sarah out of Jareth's arms and led her away from him. "Wait, Jareth!" she cried desperately. Jareth appeared to be in the same predicament. In vain he tried to push the traitorous dancers away from him in order to get to her, but there were just too many. The sea of people led them further and further away from each other.  
  
Accepting her fate, Sarah now turned around to look away from Jareth and in front of her stood Leach. His gruesome features were distorted beyond belief. With a fearful cry, Sarah had to look away. "Come, come, my dear," Mr. Leach practically slithered. "What's the matter, don't like what you see?" he asked in mock innocent. Hesitantly facing him again, Sarah gulped and replied, "You've changed." Glaring at her, he stalked closer to her, and grabbed her arm roughly.  
  
Pulling her away from the other dancers, Leach led her into an awkward dance. Sarah kept squirming, trying to get away from his steel like grip. "It's not that bad is it?" he asked, his mouth right next to her ear. His rank breath repulsed Sarah, yet she was helpless to do anything about it. "Must you get so close?" she asked, grossed out.  
  
Leach only leaned in closer, making Sarah even more uncomfortable. Struggling, she kept pulling back, trying to distance herself away from him. Seeing that Sarah was trying to get away, Leach leaned in and pulled her to him. Wanting to gag, Sarah could feel her body against his. Wishing Jareth would save her, she kept pulling away, but then Leach brought his hand to the back of her head and pressed his lips to her. She could his teeth mashed against hers, bruising her sensitive lips. Sarah turned completely still, not giving him the satisfaction of returning the kiss in the slightest.  
  
Breaking away from the kiss after seeing that she wasn't going to give in, he stated, "That was about as much fun as kissing a corpse." Feeling her blood starting to boil and the color rising to her cheeks, Sarah pulled her hand from his and brought it across his cheek in blow. Not being very weak, Sarah could feel the imprint on her hand after it had happened. Leach put a hand to his cheek in startled pain, and Sarah, seeing her opportunity, turned and fled in the opposite direction.  
  
Coming to the end of the bubble, Sarah spotted a chair. Picking up the chair, she flung it at the shell of the bubble, watching in gruesome fascination as it burst into shards of lethal glass. Hearing the dancer's screams mingled with Leach's, Sarah felt a sense of relief flood her senses.  
  
Waking up in a cold sweat, Sarah looked about the darkened room frantically. Jareth, feeling Sarah bolt upright in bed, sat up next to her and rubbed her back. "What's wrong?" he asked still half asleep. Shaking her head, Sarah's breathing and pulse slowed back to normal. "Nothing," she said shakily. "It was just a dream," she said more to herself than to him.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" he asked rubbing his eyes. "No," Sarah said, "just go back to bed." Complying with her wishes, Jareth lied back down and fell asleep instantly. Sarah fit gratefully into his arms, but sleep didn't come easily for her. She feared falling back into sleep, knowing that Leach was waiting for her. Slowly, she drew circles on Jareth's muscled chest, listening to his peaceful breathing.  
  
Rising after awhile, as she didn't want to disturb Jareth with her restlessness, and she pulled on a black silk robe and roamed the hall for the first time in what would be a series of sleepless nights.  
  
Thanks for reading! Please review if you feel like it. By the way I already have the plot figured out for my next story, and it's very sad. But, I hope you like that one too. See ya. 


	16. Push It

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Note to BatbLady: I hope this chapter is long enough for you. I really did try to make it longer. And I know where I'm going with this chapter.lol. You're so cruel.  
  
This is the noise that keeps me awake My head explodes And my body aches ~Garbage  
  
As her sleeplessness wore on, Sarah was slowly unraveling. Everywhere she turned, she imagined that she saw the hideous image of Mr. Leach, taunting her from the shadows. The dark circles under her eyes were the harrowing testimony to her sleep problem. Sarah always carried a cup of coffee with her now, just in case she felt tired. This led to her being overly talkative, which started to concern Jareth.  
  
One day, he sat her down on his throne and made her sit still for a moment while he tried to get some answers from her. "Sarah, this is not tolerable. Tell me why you won't sleep. Is it me? Do you not like sleeping with me?" Feeling guilty for his insecurity, Sarah shook her head, "It's not you Jareth. I just can't sleep. I'm not tired." Not believing her, Jareth continued, "Right, and these dark circles are there merely for decoration." As he said this he ran his thumbs along the circles underneath her eyes to emphasize his point.  
  
"Really," she said, "I'm fine." Sighing, Jareth ran a hand through his hair, which was slowly becoming disheveled. "Just tell me what it is," he demanded, grounding his teeth together impatiently. "It's nothing really," she still tried to convince him. Grabbing her roughly by the shoulders, he said forcefully, "Tell me what it is Sarah, or I'll.I'll," he failed to think of a good threat.  
  
Sarah, now angry, jumped from the throne and stepped around him. "Or you'll what? There's nothing you could do to me to make it any worse," she said matter-of-factly, while wiping the tears away from her leaking eyes. Fleeing from the room hurriedly, Sarah tried to escape Jareth's persistent questioning. Using his magic, he transported himself in front of her, and held her to him before she could protest.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered regretfully, his voice full of emotion. Letting herself surrender into his arms, she felt relaxed for the first time in weeks. Her eyelids felt heavy, and they lowered sluggishly and soon her eyes were closed and she was sleeping standing up. Her light breathing against his chest signaled Jareth to transport her to the room they shared. He took Sarah's peaceful form and lied her down on their bed gently.  
  
Pushing the hair away from her face, he spoke softly, "Sleep well my love." He lowered his lips to press against the pale skin of her exposed forehead. Rising, he walked quietly out of the room, shutting the door behind him to leave her to her dreams.  
  
That was a big mistake for Sarah's dreams weren't dreams at all. They were horrendous nightmares she couldn't escape from. It was dark where she was. Not to mention dank. It smelled of must and a slightly rank odor. All around her were stone walls, slightly slimy, only she couldn't see them, all she could do was feel around for a way out. Suddenly a light appeared from above her out of nowhere. Looking up at the light trying to find its source, she found her voice and screamed, "Help me someone, please, I'm being held against my will!"  
  
Her voice was sore after a few more minutes of screaming; she found she could no longer yell. She sank down the wall to sit on the floor, with her knees drawn up to her chest and she put her arms around her legs. "Well, well, if it isn't Sarah. Nice to see you again my dear," said the voice Sarah had been dreading to hear.  
  
Pressing her cheek sideways against her knees away from the voice, she squeezed her eyes shut and said, "Leave me alone." In a false voice of pity, Leach sank down beside her, and said, "What's the matter, baby. Are you going to cry?" He chuckled, quite satisfied with himself.  
  
Enraged, Sarah turned to face him and spat, "No, I'm not going to cry. I'm going to sit here and wish you were dead with every fiber of my being. I also wish I could kick the shit out of you right now, but that would take a lot of kicking." Leach's smirk fell from his face. Now she had made him mad.  
  
Grabbing her roughly by her long, chestnut locks, he pulled Sarah to her feet. "Ow!" Sarah cried in pain, trying to pry his grip from her hair. "You're hurting," she exclaimed. Keeping her hair locked in his fist; he pulled her to a door that Sarah hadn't seen before. Sarah held back, still trying to get him to let go of her hair. She swore he was pulling out so much that by the time he was done she'd be bald.  
  
Leading her reluctantly through the door, they ended up overlooking a sheer drop over a cliff. There was nowhere to go, as there was a wall behind them and a cliff in front of them. With her hair still in his hand, he threw her away from him, into the wall beside him. Her body connected with the wall in a thud. Sarah slid down the wall groaning in pain.  
  
Seeing that she was defenseless as she lied on the ground in a fetal position, Leach stalked over to her like a hunter sizing up his prey. Pulling his leg back, he brought it back in front him in a kick that connected just under Sarah's ribcage. Sarah let out a howl as she felt her ribs crack. Clutching her side, she tried in vain to get Leach to stop kicking her. He was relentless though. "You see, dear," he said, stopping a moment to talk, "only one of us is going over that cliff, and I'm it's not going to be me."  
  
"Stand up," he demanded forcefully. When she didn't comply fast enough with his wishes, he kicked her again, this time his foot connected with her neck, leaving a nasty swelling bruise. Standing on shaky legs, just breathing hurt. Grabbing her around the waist, he positioned her so she was standing just centimeters from the lethal fall off the edge. Sarah's heart was thundering in her chest, and her breath was coming in fast painful gasps.  
  
She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of begging, so she just stayed silent. "Any last requests?" he asked and his sickly breath was hot against her ear as he leaned in. "Yeah," Sarah smirked, "go to hell." Feeling patient being drained and his rage burning, he pushed her roughly forward, and Sarah couldn't stop herself from falling. Instead she gave in and let the fall claim her. She wondered how long she would fall until she reached the sudden stop at the end.  
  
Then she must've hit the ground because she recalled her back hitting something solid, but upon opening her eyes she was faced with the ceiling in the room she and Jareth shared. Letting out a shuddering sigh of relief that it was just a dream, Sarah hauled herself off of the floor and got to her feet.  
  
Getting rid of her stubborn pride, Sarah decided that maybe it was time to tell Jareth her predicament.  
  
Well, I can't promise I'll update soon, but I will most certainly try. Please do review. I've noticed my reviews have been dwindling. Maybe it's because this story keeps going on and on and on. If you want me to end it soon just say so, but don't torture me by not reviewing. 


	17. Killing You is Killing Me

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Note to my reviewers: I know you thought that Jareth and Sarah's talk would end up in an argument, but that was too easy. You'll just have to see what I mean. This is not the last chapter, but the next one is. Thanks for sticking with me for this long.  
  
Jareth was sitting at his desk in his study; a single lamp lit casting shadows over his fine sculpted features. His pen was moving fluidly over the piece of parchment he was concentrating on. Sarah cleared her throat a little to let him know she was there, while pulling the black robe she wore tighter around her chilled skin.  
  
Slightly irritated that he had to interrupt his work, Jareth looked up an annoyed expression on his face, which vanished once he saw Sarah fidgeting in front of him. She looked pale and a bit scared, and he wondered what had upset her so. Standing, he walked around his desk, and took her in his arms and asked her what was wrong. Shaking her head, Sarah pulled out of his embrace, and motioned to the chairs.  
  
Taking a seat, Sarah said, "I had a nightmare." Jareth took her hand and held it to comfort her. "Go on," he said. Swallowing to make her voice work, Sarah continued, "And Leach was in it. I know this may sound crazy, but he's been following me around in my dreams. He's always been intrusive and violent, but tonight, he killed me in my dream. It's gotten to the point where I'm afraid to fall asleep because I know he's waiting for me."  
  
Sarah couldn't go any further as she feared that her words would fail her and the tears would fall, but she didn't want that. She didn't want Jareth to think her any more weak than she was. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Jareth asked, feeling guilty that he had essentially caused her so much distress. If he hadn't reordered time then she wouldn't be having this problem, but what was done was done.  
  
"Because I thought that if I did tell you that you would think that I was crazy. But tonight was terrible. The dream felt so real, I mean, when I touched something it felt as if it was right under my hand. How do you think he's doing this?"  
  
Thinking it over, Jareth couldn't come up with a logical explanation. "I'm sorry love, but I couldn't begin to think of a way he could manipulate your dreams. If you would like, I can go to earth and see what he's up to if it makes you feel any better."  
  
A bright smile broke over Sarah's gloomy face and she said, "Great! Beat him up for me would you." Of course she was just kidding. But Jareth was a little reluctant to find it humorous since he had killed him before. "I'll get right on it then," he said conjuring a crystal getting ready to depart to earth.  
  
Sarah didn't want him to go just yet, but she knew he'd be back soon. "Be careful," she said. Flashing her a haughty grin, he replied, "Of course, love," and he disappeared in a flash of light. Once again Sarah pulled the robe tighter around her body. The castle was too quiet. Looking around the study she tired to find some sort of distraction to take her mind off of Jareth's absence.  
  
The crystal brought Jareth to a hospital room. Looking around he noticed Leach lying upon a bed, a heart monitor and various other machines he didn't know the purpose of were all around him making beeping noises. Footsteps down the hallway alerted Jareth, and he moved stealthily to a bathroom in the room.  
  
Keeping the door partially open, Jareth overhead a conversation between two nurses and a doctor. "Doctor, the patient doesn't seem to be improving. If anything his condition has steadily worsened over the past couple of weeks." "Maybe we should put him out of his misery and take him off life support," one sensible nurse suggested. The doctor was vehemently against it. "No," he said sternly, "Mr. Leach is a very important person I'm told. If we end his life we could be dealing with serious consequences. We'll keep him on life support for as long as possible and hope that he awakes from his coma soon."  
  
Their conversation over, the trio walked out of the room and shut the door behind them. Jareth stepped out of the bathroom quietly, his mind still absorbing his newfound knowledge. That's when the pieces of the puzzle all came together in Jareth's head. Leach was manipulating Sarah's dreams by simply being in a coma.  
  
He'd heard stories before where people in comas, so near to death, were able to send telepathic messages to people via dreams. If Leach was indeed that near to death, than there was nothing the doctor and nurses could do. Jareth, feeling his heart beating unsteadily in his chest, he found the tube that led to Leach's life support vessel. With his hand shaking from uncertainty, he reached forward hesitantly and gripped the cord in his hand. Closing his eyes, Jareth pulled the cord out of the electric socket. No alarms went off, no bells rang, Leach just simply stopped breathing. Unlike last time, he felt no regret. Simply a flood of relief came over him.  
  
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jareth conjured a crystal, and transported himself as quickly as he could back to the castle. He found Sarah waiting for him, still seated in the armchair that she had been when he left. "How'd it go?" she asked while he took a seat next to her. Jareth began to rub his temples, deliberately avoiding her question.  
  
"Talk to me," Sarah pleaded. A heavy sigh escaped Jareth's lips unchecked, and he told Sarah what had happened. Sarah listened in grim fascination as he told her how he had terminated Leach's life. An overwhelming sense of happiness overtook Sarah, and she threw her arms around Jareth's neck. "Oh, I'm so sorry that you had to do that, but it feels so good to know he's gone." Her voice came out muffled as her face was pressed into Jareth's chest.  
  
Pulling her away from his chest, he asked, "You mean you're happy I killed him?" Her brow creased, "Well, yes. I know that may sound sadistic, but he wouldn't have stopped until he killed me. You did the right thing Jareth. Don't ever doubt it." She placed a firm kiss on his cheek demurely. Standing, she stretched toward the ceiling and yawned. Rubbing her eyes, she said, "I think I'll go get a good nights rest. Thanks dear." Leaving the room, she left a troubled Jareth to his thoughts.  
  
Thanks for reading. Please review if you feel like it! 


	18. Epilogue

Who's Saving Who?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the computer I typed this on.  
  
Author's Note: Woohoo! This is the last chapter! It's a bit short, but I couldn't think of how to write it. I'm not good with endings. They always come out too cheesy. But, I tried really hard on this one and I hope you find it satisfactory. If you don't I guess I'll know by my review box. Oh, and by the way, I know the plot for my next story, but I haven't started writing it yet. Thanks for reading everyone; I really appreciate it!  
  
Jareth's chest swelled with pride as he watched his wife breathing peacefully as she lounged across his lap reading a book. Together they sat in Sarah's garden room on ivory bench with a red leather cushion.  
  
Sarah's stomach was practically bulging, swollen with the life of their first child. Gently he stroked her hair as he watched her read. He had come to the conclusion he could watch her forever. Just the way her eyes flicked from one page to the next sent shivers up his spine.  
  
Before he had met Sarah, Jareth hadn't known love or true happiness, but now he was so content he feared that something bad was going to happen just to make up for all the terrible things he had done in his life. But his fears were unfounded. Placing a bare hand on Sarah's stomach he massaged slowly feeling his son kick strongly against his hand. Of course Sarah didn't know it was a boy yet, and he didn't intend to tell her.  
  
"I swear, Jareth, every time you do that he kicks. Is this your way of getting back at me?" she asked, he eyes looking up at him suspiciously. "For what?" he replied in mock innocence. Rolling her eyes, Sarah shot back, "For all those years ago when I rejected you." Sighing, he replied, "No, love. I've forgiven you for that. Besides you weren't totally to blame. I didn't make it easy for you after all." Shocked, Sarah asked sarcastically, "Was that a confession?"  
  
Jareth, feeling a bit miffed, knew exactly how to get back at his expecting wife. Leaning his head down, Jareth put his lips around her soft, supple earlobe and sucked it into his mouth. Sarah squealed in pleasure and indignation. "Jareth, stop! That tickles!" She tried to rise from his persistent mouth but he wouldn't let her. Plus her stomach in itself was an obstacle. He chuckled deeply in his throat, and decided to stop torturing her, for now.  
  
Still laughing, Sarah wiped the tears away from her eyes, and suddenly serious she said, "Jareth, I just wanted you to know that I love you. And that you saved me. You're my knight in shining armor." Jareth pouted a bit and replied, "I thought I was more like prince charming." Sarah laughed at his joke heartily. Then, he leaned down and whispered conspiratorially, "No, love, you saved me."  
  
End of Story  
  
  
  
Thanks for reading everyone! I'll miss you guys! (*Wipes away a tear*). See you at the next story. 


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